Tanzania Trip Report - March 1-14 with Naipenda

Old Mar 19th, 2008, 09:14 AM
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Tanzania Trip Report - March 1-14 with Naipenda

My wife and I just returned from two weeks in Tanzania – one week on safari and one week on the island of Zanzibar. We had a fabulous time. Naipenda Safaris was spectacular both before and during the trip. Jo was an amazing help in planning and organizing, always responding within hours to our many email questions. Our driver Nickson had an eagle eye and was a virtual encyclopedia on African animals. He has been driving for 12 years and it shows. We were often the first on sight to see large cats, others would see us and drive over to see what was going on.

Pictures: http://thedrakes.zenfolio.com/
I purchased two Nikon D40s for the trip and spent about a month learning the ropes. I took about 75% of the pictures with the 70-300VR and the other 25% with the 18-200VR, but almost all the pics posted are from the 70-300VR as I haven’t sorted through all of the 18-200 pics yet. All of the pictures on Zanzibar except those of the locals farming seaweed were taken with my Canon G7.

Itinerary:
Day 1 (March 1) - Mt. Meru Game Lodge
Day 2 – Afternoon in Tarangire (Maramboi Tented Camp)
Day 3 - Full day Tarangire (Maramboi Tented Camp)
Day 4 – Most of day at Lake Manyara (Bougainvillea Lodge)
Day 5 – Ngorongoro (Serena Ngorongoro)
Day 6 – Ndutu (Ndutu Lodge)
Day 7 – Ndutu / Serengeti (Serena Serengeti)
Day 8 - Serengeti (Serena Serengeti)
Day 9 – AM drive Serengeti, fly to Zanzibar (Pongwe Beach Resort)
Day 10, 11, 12 - Pongwe Beach Resort
Day 13,14 – Stone Town (Zanzibar Palace Hotel)

Highs:
1. Ndutu was the highlight of our trip. The migration was in full effect and we were rarely surrounded by other vehicles. The ability to go off-road made a huge difference in both getting close to the animals and allow vehicles to spread apart. In 24 hours we saw a Cheetah with 6 cubs feasting on an impala, a lioness with three cubs lunching on a zebra, several other lions, and tens of thousands of wildebeests and zebras. The best part…there were never more than two other vehicles next to us (usual we were alone) and we had ˝ hour alone with the lion cubs. Ndutu lodge was also our favorite lodge on the safari.
2. Pongwe. The beach was one of the best we have ever been to (better than Rio, Thailand, etc.) and the hotel was fabulous. It was small and intimate, but offered an array of services and things to do. Food was the best seafood we’ve ever had and we live in a town with great seafood. Perhaps the best overall hotel experience we have ever had, certainly for the price.
3. Tarangire. We were worried about spending 1.5 days in Tarangire because many books and many forum posts said to consider avoiding it this time of year. What a mistake that would have been. We probably saw over 100 elephants including tiny babies up close, dozens of giraffes including babies up close, two cheetahs, our best view of a leapod on the entire trip and much more all in a beautiful setting. It was FAR better than the central Serengeti in our mind (this time of year).
4. A private safari. I don’t think we paid much more than a group safari and it was great to have the vehicle to ourselves so we could spread out and always have a prime view. We could also tailor each day to our needs (get up very early if wanted, sleep in if wanted, etc.) and spend as little or as much time viewing a given animal as we wanted. We probably spent over an hour watching the cheetah and her six cubs.

Relative lows:
1. Central Serengeti. Perhaps we were just spoiled by the end of the trip, but our two days in the Serengeti were a disappointment and by far the least enjoyable of the four parks we visited. Animals were scarce, so ones that were spotted were surrounded by other vehicles. We did see an excited chase, where a zebra somehow escaped two lions and some large hippo pools, but not much else. We saw three lionesses our first night and they were surrounded by cars. The next day after an hour or two of not seeing much, we saw them again. At one time I counted 26 other vehicles watching the lions and they would all jockey for position each time the lions moved. Not exactly a chance to enjoy nature. I kind of expected this in the crater, but not in the central Serengeti. In fact, we expienced very little crowding in the Crater or Ndutu despite the migration being in those areas. Our hypothesis is that because there was so much to see in those areas, everybody was spread out viewing interesting things on their own. In the Serengeti, because it was sparse, none of the drivers were finding much, so when one did they radioed and everybody in the area rushed over.
2. Stone town. It was excessively hot in Stone Town and very difficult to find a place to cool down. Even the nicer restaurants didn’t have A/C. Really not much to do at all other than walk around. The churches and “palace museums” were not worth visiting. I would spend one day here at the most.
3. Serena lodges. We found the smaller lodges we stayed at to have better rooms and facilities, better food and far better service. Prices for gifts and wine were also ridiculous. Example – a 20 page soft cover children’s book with a price of 6 British Pounds (about $12) printed on it listed for $22.00 at Serena. However, the NCO Serena was worth staying at for one night just for the views.
4. Local bank ATMs in Arusha. We tried two, neither gave us money, but one did charge us $600 for four separate withdrawals. Thankfully, Bank of America is taking care of it without hasstle. Use the Barclays ATM in Arusha instead.

Lodging:
Mt. Meru Game Lodge (B) – Good place to spend a night before heading on safari.

Maramboi Tented Camp (B+) – Best rooms of the trip, modern and good views, but a good distance from the parks.

Bougainvillea Lodge (B) – Nothing to complain about, but nothing too exciting. Good service, No views. Didn’t spend a lot of time here.

Serena Ngorongoro (B) – Disappointing except for the views, but I guess that’s what you pay for. Rooms were dated and service was just okay. We had problems with the toilet flushing and they weren’t exactly fast or friendly in resolving the problem. We called once, they said they would be right down, waited an hour with no response, called again, a plumber came, but didn’t solve the problem, etc.

Ndutu Lodge (A+) – Great location, 2 minutes to good game drives, views, good food and service.

Serena Serengeti (C) – Dated rooms, couldn’t get a queen bed – had to settle for two single beds, far from game drives, impersonal service.

Pongwe (A++) – See above

Zanzibar Palace (A-) – We had the cheapest room (Rosewood) and it was small and had no view. I think some of the other rooms are much better and worth the upgrade. Great service, very friendly owners. It was the first place on our trip with a TV and A/C in the room, which loved after two weeks without either. Would have liked a location closer the main shops and restaurants better.
jad79 is offline  
Old Mar 19th, 2008, 12:04 PM
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Thanks for your report! It's especially nice to hear someone rave about Pongwe. We stayed there for a few days last October at the end of a 3-week safari in Kenya and Tanzania. I thought the beach portion of our trip would be sort of a letdown after being on safari, but we loved it there and wish we'd had a few more days. The beach was so beautiful, and we thought Pongwe had some of the best food and friendliest staff of our entire trip. We also loved how laid-back and unpretentious it was.
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Old Mar 19th, 2008, 12:53 PM
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Thanks for the great report and photos! The grading of the lodges is helpful and I really enjoyed reading about and seeing photos of animals that I had just seen the last week of February. In particular its great to see the cheetah mother and 6 cubs eating and I'm relieved to see the lioness and 3 cubs eating. When we spotted them the lioness seemed to have a bit of a limp. I didn't think it would be critical but I am very happy to see them all looking healthy with the zebra kill. Lots of good mothers in Ndutu!

As a side note I liked the hosting of your photos, it keeps the quality excellent. Kodak Gallery is washing out the colors on mine so I'm going to try your service. Hopefully I don't find out that I'm making up excuses and my pictures just are not that great!
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Old Mar 19th, 2008, 05:21 PM
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I haven't looked at all your galleries but--my word!--fantastic cat shots! The lions, the cheetahs, wow.

I am one of few who likes Stone Town it seems, but I agree it is very, very hot and we were there in a "cooler" season than you.

Thanks so much for sharing all this.
Leely is offline  
Old Mar 20th, 2008, 04:52 AM
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Hey, great report but I'm really disappointed that you posted so quickly! It makes me look bad. We arrived in Tanzania on Feb 17 and flew out on Mar 2 and I am still sorting through 7000 photos. We also went with Naipenda and we had Nickson for Arusha Park as our guide and Chris for the rest of the safari and both were great. We stayed at Pongwe too and heaven on earth describes it best. So, are you planning a trip back?
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Old Mar 20th, 2008, 06:36 AM
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Really interesting report! I am especially interested in your review of Zanzibar Palace as I will be in Stone Town in November, and that was one of the places we'd considered staying. We are currently booked at Beyt al Chai but after a recent negative review on it I am starting to reconsider. How far from the main tourist areas is Zanzibar Palace? Did you feel safe walking around? Also, I'd seen some negative reviews on it on TripAdvisor that had influenced me in the first place, with the main complaints being (1) the A/C units were insufficient to cool the entire room; (2) the rooms are worn/dingier than they appear on the website; and (3) the owners smoke "constantly" in the common areas. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Also, it is encouraging that you took such great pictures with your new camera! Was that your first DSLR? I just bought my first one to give me time to practice before my November trip, and so far I am overwhelmed just reading the manual!
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Old Mar 20th, 2008, 08:20 PM
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Thanks for the quick report and pix. I loved the # 11 of the zebra and some hippo shots. Awesome and makes me want to go back--now! Our experience at the Serena Serengeti was different--we ended up with a suite (don't know why) and our service was great. See report on Safari for Photography with Roy and pbase.com/pattyroth for pix.
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Old Mar 20th, 2008, 08:37 PM
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Thanks for the report. I'll look at the photos next. You're another lucky one that saw the mother cheetah and 6 cubs.

Thanks for your positive comments on Tarangire. Interesting comparison to the Central Serengeti. However in March, the Central Serengeti would not be expected to be hopping the way Ndutu is.

That's great Naipenda worked out so well.
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Old Mar 20th, 2008, 11:04 PM
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Good report, thanks.
regards - tom
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Old Mar 21st, 2008, 05:57 AM
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hlg22, I'll try to answer your questions regarding Zanzibar Palace...

How far from the main tourist areas is Zanzibar Palace? First, I would have a hard time determining what the main tourists attractions in Zanzibar are. The highlight of our visit was wondering the quiet streets and visiting the market on Creek street, both of which the Zanzibar Palace is great for. The main tourist area and most restaurants are probably a ten minute walk. The problem is that the alleyways are very confusing and generally not labeled so it is very easy to get lost. Not a bad thing if it were 70 degrees, but when it is 95 and no shade (and you're used to Boston weather) it can seem like a long walk. To the best of my ability to tell, the main tourist area is only that because it has the largest collection of shops, restaurants and hotels, not because it is close to attractions. It is close to over 100 shops with aggressive touts however

"Did you feel safe walking around?" Yes.

Also, I'd seen some negative reviews on it on TripAdvisor that had influenced me in the first place, with the main complaints being (1) the A/C units were insufficient to cool the entire room; (2) the rooms are worn/dingier than they appear on the website; and (3) the owners smoke "constantly" in the common areas. I'd be interested in your thoughts."

I had no problems with any of the things you mentioned. In fact, the owners were the best part of the hotel. They were very friendly, helpful and I never saw anybody smoke. The A/C unit may not be up to western standards, but certainly well above par for Africa.
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Old Mar 21st, 2008, 06:06 AM
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atravelynn, we certainly knew that Ndutu would be the best place to be in early March and that the Central Serengeti would have fewer animals but most travel books and forum posts I read made it sound like the Seronera area would be worth visiting in March, but Tarangire could be skipped in Feb / March and we felt the opposite was true.


I think the Central Serengeti would have been okay if there weren't as many visitors, but scarce wildlife and an ambundance of tourists made for a bad combination in my mind.
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Old Mar 21st, 2008, 07:39 AM
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Fighting chameleons! Now that's a first. The mother cheetah and her brood was a great catch as well as the cheetah with the gazelle in its mouth. The zebra that got away from the lions was a terrific action shot. You have a wonderful collection of photos.
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Old Mar 21st, 2008, 06:24 PM
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Your report, particularly highlights and ranking of camps will be very helpful to others. I haven't read much on the forum about Naipenda, so that information will be helpful to others as well.

Your photos are wonderful. The cheetah cub shots are just amazing.

It's nice to hear reports of sightings at Ndutu this time of year not being overcrowded. I'm not surprised it was one of the highlights of your trip. I'm in the planning process for February-March of next year. Hopefully I'll be as lucky as you were.

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Old Jul 24th, 2011, 02:48 PM
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Naipenda Safaris provided us with an incredible experience. Isreal Mwanga went out of his way to ensure we were completely satisfied with our accomodations. Our driver and guide, Mansour Seng'enge was superb at spotting wildlife from Cheetah to baby grouse. He also taught us Swahili and what life is like in Tanzania. You will not be disappointed with your trip if you go with Naipenda.
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Old Jul 24th, 2011, 04:54 PM
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and gonga_doug joins us to answer a thread that is over -three (3) years old-.

regards - tom
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Old Jul 25th, 2011, 03:06 PM
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We are pleased to hear you had a great time with Naipanda. We are working with Jo for a safari next year. Thanks.
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